PBS has released its ratings numbers for Season 2 of Downton Abbey and, to some mild and socially restrained surprise, viewership among the male 18-34 demographic, — the same demographic largely to blame for the Entourage phenomenon — jumped up 100 percent, matching the rise in viewership among 18-34-year-old women as well as 35-49-year-old men (the increase among 35-49-year-old women was almost twice as high at 173 percent). These numbers represent the largest ever increase for the "Masterpiece" series, with the 18-34-year-old women giving "Masterpiece" the largest (278 percent) bump over its previous average.

Though conducting a head-count in the era of DVR is like trying to count each one of Maggie Smith's disapproving wrinkles, PBS showed that Season 2 of its hit show averaged 7 million viewers, up 2 million from the previous season. Abbey, with a cumulative viewership of 17 million, now ranks as the "most-watched ‘Masterpiece' miniseries on record" according to PBS, which puts The Buccaneers as a distant runner-up despite what is surely a lot of swashbuckling. The Feb. 19 season finale drew 8.1 million viewers, making it the "most-watched" show since the premiere of Ken Burns' National Park series. To put that in single-episode perspective, Mad Men's two-headed season premiere last Sunday arrested 4.4 million wandering eyes and it's season 4 finale drew 2.44 million. Through PBS and Masterpiece's sites, Abbey streamed 7.1 million times, and more than 12 million times across all other platforms.

Male viewership is a significant part of that ratings boost, which ensures that Masterpiece programs are tapping wider audiences, and will no longer be relegated to the lobbies of bed and breakfasts across America.